Newborn Dies After Mom With COVID-19 Goes Into Premature Labor

By Bill GalluccioApr 7, 2020

A newborn baby died in a Louisiana hospital after a mother who had COVID-19 went into premature labor. The woman, who was 22 weeks into her pregnancy, was hospitalized with a high fever and shortness of breath and had to be placed on a ventilator.

East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner William Clark said that the woman went into labor because of the virus and that, unfortunately, the newborn did not survive.

"She went into preterm labor and ultimately delivered the baby prematurely," Clark said on Facebook Live. "The baby, because of the extreme prematurity, did not survive."

"We all agree that this would be considered a COVID-19 related death because of the positive nature of the mother in this scenario," he said. "Had she not been COVID-19 positive, had not required ventilatory support, had not had shortness of breath and the hypoxia that's associated with the virus, likely she would have not gone into preterm labor, and there would have been a different outcome."

The mother remains on a ventilator, but hospital officials would not provide any information about her current condition or prognosis.

As of Monday, Louisiana has nearly 15,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and more than 500 people have been killed by the virus.

To keep up to date on the latest news about the coronavirus and to understand what you need to stay safe and healthy, check out the Coronavirus: Fact vs. Fiction podcast from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

Photo: Getty Images

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